Apparatus for delivering into bins cigarettes with mouthpiece coatings



June 3, 1958 u. RIEGGER 2,836,945

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING INTO BINS CIGARETTES File d Aug. 2, 1954 WITHMOUTHPIECEI COATINGS- 2 Sheets-Sheet l U. RIEGGER June 3, 1958 APPARATUSFOR DELIVERING INTO BINS CIGARETTES WITH MOUTHPIECE COATINGS '2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2. 1954 United States APPARATUS FOR DELIVERINGINTO BINS CIGA- RETTES WITH MOUTHPIECE COATINGS Ulrich Riegger, Wentorfa. W., Post Reinbek, Germany,

assignor to Kurt Kiirber & Co. K.-G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Theinvention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering into binscigarettes with mouthpiece coatings or with mouthpiece attachments orthe like, leaving a cigarettee machine on two take-oif belts.

In order to be able to bring the cigarettes from the cigarette rodmachine into the packing machine or preliminarily thereto into a storagespace, they are inserted most conveniently into storage containers, theso-called bins. This is generally effected in such a way that thecigarettes are deposited by hand in the bins from the take-off belts ofthe cigarette rod machine. Generally two bins are arranged side by sideagainst the side walls of the delivery of the machine, in which thecigarettes are deposited according to the position of the mouthpieceportion. In this case it can however occur that the cigarettes aredeposited in the opposite bin and it then requires a longer time torearrange the cigarettes. Mechanical devices have been proposed fortransferring the cigarettes from the take-01f belt directly in the bins.For this reason with mouthpiece cigarettes two bins have been commonlyused for the individual take-off belts with the rear walls opposed oneto the other. Particular difficulty is encountered in this case indelivering the cigarettes satisfactorily, for it often occurs that thecomparatively light cigarettes lie obliquely and thus disturb thefilling of the bins. Since two bins are disposed with their rear wallsadjacent the attendant lacks visibility and much time is lost if hecontrols the cigarettes individually for the filling. It is in everycase better if the cigarettes are delivered only into one bin in orderthat the attendant can readily and easily watch the bins from one sideand if necessary can immediately remove poorly filled cigarettes.

In order to operate in this case without disturbance it is proposedaccording to the invention to turn the cigarettes from one belt through180 on a turning device before entering into the common bin. Thereby itis immediately possible reliably and easily to supervise the cigarettesfed into the bins. As means for turning the ci arettes there may beemployed for example two superimposed plates provided with grooves whichfor example can be constantly pressed together by springs. In order thatthe cigarettes can be readily introduced into the turning device theplates are somewhat separated from one another by a mechanical device.During the rotation, they lie on the cigarettes and thus prevent themfalling out. The turning device is supported in suitable manner on twosides and is rotated each time through 180 by means of an intermittentdrive of known type, for example by means of a Maltese cross device.

The features of the present invention are shown as one constructionalexample in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the whole cigarette feeder device seen from above,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line A-B of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line C--D of Fig. 1 and atent O "ice PatentedJune 3,

Fig. 4 is an end view of the turning device on a larger scale.

The incoming cigarettes with their mouthpiece coatings or withmouthpiece attachments in opposite directions coming from the belts 1and 2 at the delivery of a cigarette rod machine, oppositely pass intotwo successively placed supply containers 5 and 6 and fall in this caseaccording to Fig. 2 into the chambers 7, 7' located below them, whichfor example are divided into separate compartments by partition strips8, 8'. The supply containers 5 and 6 are arranged one slightly ahead ofthe other (Fig. 1). The cigarettes are delivered from these compartmentsin their longitudinal direction by means of sliders 11, 12 which arespaced one from the other and project cigarettes on to a table 21 sincethe sliders 11 and 12 are provided with fingers 9 and 10. The cigarettesfrom the container 6 below the belt 2 are inserted into a reversingdevice 13 before they are transferred to the table 21.

This reversing device is mounted opposite the container 6 to extendadjacent the lower portion of the container and comprises a pair ofelongated plates 14 and 15 (see Fig. 4) which are provided withtransverse grooves 16 in opposed faces thereof. The plates are rotatablymounted and at one side there is located a four-part Maltese cross 17with a 1:2 transmission ratio and thereby the required rotation throughcan be obtained. Before the cigarettes are inserted into the reversingdevice positively controlled pins 18 engage from the side between thetwo plates and release these by a small amount. The upper and lowerplates-of the reversing device can be forced together by tension springs19 located in the two plates adjacent the ends thereof. The pins 18 thusforce the plates slightly apart against the force of the tension springsand at the moment of commencement of the 180 rotation again move out ofthe rotary path of the reversing device 13.

This reciprocatory movement of the pins 18 is effected for example bymeans of cam discs 18a which are afiixed to the machine frame in anyapproved manner. After rotation of the plates 14 and 15 the cigarettesare forced by finger 10 of the slider 12 through the reversing device onto the table 21 whereupon the slider immediately moves back. Thereciprocation of the sliders 11 and 12 is effected by means of crankdrives 11a and 12a from a shaft 20 which also serves for driving theMaltese cross 17 for the reversing device 13.

Laterally operating plungers 22, 23 driven in the opposite directions byrocking levers 22a then slide the cigarettes on the table 21 together tosuch an extent that they come into contact and take the width of the pin24. T hereupon they are slid longitudinally into the removable bin 24 bymeans of a slider 26 which is mounted between the containers 5 and 6 toone side thereof and below the level of the fingers 10 also driven bythe crank drive 26a from the shaft 20. This bin is supported in thechain drive 25 by which it can be moved slowly downwardly by means of aratchet device 27 so that each successive layer of cigarettes isdisposed on those beneath them.

After a series of cigarettes have been projected into the recesses ofthe reversing device 13 by the plunger 12 and pins 10, they areprojected onto the table 21 by by the abutting ends of the next seriesof cigarettes fed by the plunger 12 and fingers 10.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for delivering to a single handling bin mouthpiececigarettes arriving from a cigarette machine on two separate belts, anddisposed with the mouthpiece ends oppositely on the two belts,comprising a pair of containers for receiving cigarettes from saidbelts, cigarette receiving means between said containers and "said bin,means to transfer the cigarettes from the two containers to the bin,turning means interposed in the path travelled by the cigarettes leavingthe one container to position all the cigarettes reaching thebinin'the-same direction, means operable on said cigarette receivingmeans to bunch said cigarettes together, and :plunger means to projectsaid cigarettes into'saidbin.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the turning device is dividedinto separable parts to grip the cigarettes;

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein theitwo separable parts of theturning device are lifted one from theother :at the moment of insertionof the cigarettes while they are forced one towards the other duringrotation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the two separable parts of thereversing device are constantly pressed together by springs.

positively actuated spreader pins are provided for releasing the twoseparable parts of the turning device.

6. Device according to claim 1 wherein the turning device is providedwith grooves for receiving the cigarettes.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a step-bystep drive isprovided for driving the turning device. v

-8. Apparatus for delivering to a single handling bin layers ofmouthpiece cigarettes arriving from a cigarette machine :on two separatebelts, and disposed with the mouthpieceends'oppositelyon the two belts,comprising reciprocablepusher means to transfer the cigarettes from thetwo belts to the bin, intermittently rotatable turning means adapted toreceive a plurality of cigarettes interposed in the path travelled bycigarettes leaving one of said belts to'rotate all the cigarettes fed bysaid belt 4. about their transverse axes and thus position all of thecigarettes fed by both of said belts in the same direction, and meansintermittently to actuate said pusher means and said turning means.

9. In an apparatus for handling cigarettes, a pair of endless conveyorelements adapted to deliver cigarettes having mouthpieces on one endfrom a cigarette making machineato a collecting bin comprising a'pairof'containersfor receiving said cigarettes and arranged one adjacent theend of each endless conveyor, one of said containers being arrangedslightly in advance relative to the other conveyor, a cigarette turningdevice adapted to rotate 180 at intermittent intervals arranged adjacentthe advanced container, a table'for'receivingcigarettes from saidturning device, a reciprocable plungerhaviug a series of fingers adaptedto project through the lower portion of said advanced container todischarge cigarettes into correspondingly spaced openings in saidturning: device, means for rotating said turning device when saidplunger is retracted whereby successive operations of said plunger willcause the fingers to project cigarettes into the turning device so thatfollowing cigarettes projected :by the plungers will "discharge thecigarettes from the turning device onto said table.

References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,218,000 Roberts Mar. 6, 1917 1,750,018 Meyer-lagenberg Q. -Mar. 11,1930 1,834,723 Nefi Dec. 1, 1931 112,365,733 Spector Dec. 26, 19442,509,725 Dalton May 30, 1950 2,509,752 Whecley May 30, 1950

